Khalil Mack gave an update on his elbow injury on Thursday, a day after he returned to practice for the first time in over a month.
"It feels great, man. It feels great to be out there [at practice]. Can't wait to get out there [and play," Mack said in the locker room after practice.
He later added: "Just based on how I feel out there, slightly ready to go. I would say percentage wise, I can't give you a percentage. But yeah it feels good, it doesn't hurt at all. That's always a bonus."
Does that mean he could potentially play Sunday against the Colts?
"For sure," Mack said.
But with two games in five days coming up, has Mack given any consideration to sitting out Sunday so he can be ready for Thursday night against the Vikings?
"Nah. I'm a competitor. I like to be out there with my brothers," Mack said. "Whatever they want to do. I'm doing what I'm told and not trying to speak too soon. Trying to let the chips fall how they may."
Mack sustained an elbow injury in the first quarter of a Week 2 win in Las Vegas after he had already recorded a sack against the Raiders.
He has missed the past four games but credited Chargers Head Athletic Trainer Sal Lopez for helping him create a "24-hour process" to expedite the recovery process.
"Shoutout to my guy, Sal. He's been taking care of me," Mack said. "To be honest, we've been chipping away at it.
"Got a morning plan, plan for when I go home. Like a 24-hour process just chipping away, getting the swelling out early and being able to catch up with the strengthening," Mack added.
The Chargers would certainly welcome Mack back whenever he returns as the 34-year-old has 108.5 career sacks.
"It'll be big when he's able to come back," Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh said Wednesday. "Great player. Football player in every way. Great leader. Coolest guy on the team, in my opinion.
"The non-mandatory things that guys are able to do, he does the most. Things that some people think aren't cool, he does," Harbaugh added. "So if the coolest guy is doing something then anybody else is going to think it's cool. Understand that if it's working for Khalil, it's got a good chance of working for them."
Chargers Defensive Coordinator Jesse Minter added: "Anytime you add a Hall of Famer back into the mix, I'd expect it would make the unit better."
Mack has spent the past four games on the Chargers sideline wearing a headset. But he made it crystal clear Thursday that he'd much rather spend his Sunday afternoon chasing down opposing quarterbacks.
"I hate that part of it," Mack said. "But I feel like you gain a lot more insight being able to hear the calls, hear the coaches and all those different things."
He later added: "But I can't wait to take that headset off."
